Information technology (“IT”) environments may consist of many different computer systems performing processes, such as business processes, on master data. The different computer systems may be part of the same entity or may be part of different entities, such as vendors or contractors. The master data used by the processes may be centrally stored on a master data server that distributes master data needed by each process to the computer system performing the process. In addition, master data that have been created or modified on the different computer systems is transferred to the master data server for later storage and distribution.
Multiple processes may operate on a common set of master data. As such, the multiple processes each may create the same master data and may modify local copies of the same master data. The commonly created or modified master data may be transferred to and stored on the master data server. Furthermore, the multiple processes may require that the common master data be quickly transferred to the master data server and distributed by the master data server before duplicative master data may be identified or cleansed. Therefore, the master data server and the different computer systems may include duplicative master data that are redundant, incorrect, obsolete, or irrelevant, which may result in high costs for maintaining unnecessary master data. In addition, business analysis performed using duplicative master data may result in incorrect or inaccurate conclusions, which may lead to poor business decisions.